Thoughts from the interface of science, religion, law and culture

After spending several years touring the country as a stand up comedian, Ed Brayton tired of explaining his jokes to small groups of dazed illiterates and turned to writing as the most common outlet for the voices in his head. He has appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and the Thom Hartmann Show, and is almost certain that he is the only person ever to make fun of Chuck Norris on C-SPAN.

EVENTS

Atheist Bangladeshi Bloggers Finally Indicted

Four atheist bloggers in Bangladesh who were arrested in April have finally been charged in court and their trials will begin in November. They are charged with writing “inflammatory blogs” that offended the religious feelings of Muslims in that country.

A Dhaka court has charged four in two cases under the Information and Communications Technology Act for writing alleged inflammatory blogs on sensitive religious issues.

This is the first time any accused has been charged under the ICT Act after it was amended. If proved guilty, they could be given between 7 to 14 years in prison under the amended law.

The Bangladeshi government likes to claim that it’s a secular government, but that’s nonsense. If you’re enforcing laws that prevent speech that offends religious beliefs, that word simply does not apply.